


After the Storm

by velociraptoryeehaw



Category: The Last of Us (Video Games)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Big Gay Love Story, Clickers (The Last Of Us), Dante is an oc i came up with just for this, Dante isn't an actual character hes there for plot purposes, F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Gay Panic, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Implied/Referenced Torture, Injury Recovery, Love Confessions, My First AO3 Post, Nightmares, Pining, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Trauma, abby deserves to be loved, abby is bisexual, lev is a little shit, post events of part 2
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:41:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27914680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/velociraptoryeehaw/pseuds/velociraptoryeehaw
Summary: It's been weeks since Abby's last encounter with Ellie, and along with Lev, the two set out to go to the Firefly outpost in Catalina Island. Abby and Lev are in terrible condition, and it's up to the firefly doctors to take care of them and nurse them back to health, but it seems like one of the fireflies caught Abby's eye.
Relationships: Abby & Lev (The Last of Us), Abby (The Last of Us)/Reader
Comments: 7
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was originally a self-insert,, but!! It's my first time writing fanfic on AO3, the last time I posted any fic was in Wattpad back in middle school so just bear with me- anyways please enjoy!! and keep in mind that this is a wlw relationship between the reader and Abby.

The crisp salty breeze of the coastal city rattled the tall palm trees, making them croak in response and the highest peaks of the trees to sway to the sides. Sunshine peered in and began to cloak and warm the surroundings, mellowing sun rays seeping through and sliding down the broken rooftops of the houses. Quiet footsteps on the sidewalk could be heard in the clearing and the distant low grumbling of infected made the morning eerie. 

“This way.” a quiet usher said in the shadows of a building, and the cracking of broken glass underneath shoe soles filled the abandoned coffee shop. The scrawny boy grabbed at the little supplies left behind in the shop, a roll of duct tape and an almost empty rubbing alcohol bottle, and put them in his bag. 

“Abby, you should rest.” The boy said, his eyebrows furrowed as they stayed low on the marble floor of the cafe. “I’m fine, Lev, we need to keep moving,” Abby mumbled back, “We’re almost there,” she added after some struggle. 

As much as she tried to hide it, the huff in her voice as she spoke gave away her condition. Lev hesitated for a moment, his eyes looking into the woman’s tired blue ones, then nodded. “Just eat something first please,” Lev said, and took their last protein bar from his pocket, handing it over to Abby. 

“No, save it,” Abby said with a shake of her head, to which Lev insisted that she took it. The blonde looked at the protein bar then back at Lev, and with a sigh she took it. The woman opened the wrapper and decided to split the protein bar in half, giving the bigger half to the boy. The two ate quietly and quickly before standing up and continuing their way towards the pickup point. 

Abby kept alert at all times despite her fatigue, Lev walked closely behind her, also fighting the soreness that seemed to be weighing down every muscle in his body. Along the coast, the two battered escapees made their way past Santa Monica and down towards the direction of White Point beach. 

They walked for what seemed like forever until they came across a broken-down neighborhood. The way towards the beach was blocked by barricades and washed up boats on top of houses. Abby and Lev maneuvered through broken debris and cars, until coming across a housing complex. The loud thud of the door being kicked down echoed through the deserted halls of the houses; almost immediately the deafening screech of a clicker could be heard, along with several pained screams following the first one.

Abby immediately looked around for anything they could use as a weapon, having all her things left behind in Santa Barbara made combat even harder. Adrenaline began to pump into them as erratic footsteps approached faster than they would’ve liked. Lev wasted no time and ran into the kitchen of the house, coming back with a blunt weapon.

“Abby!” Lev called out to her and tossed the metal pipe to her. Abby skillfully took it in her hands midair and began to move, “Come on!” She said as she ran up the stairs the opposite way to the sounds, being followed by Lev. Once the two of them made it up the stairs, Abby looked around and pushed a nearby coffee table down the stairs to slow down the incoming infected. 

Abby panted as she tried to think about a way they could make it to the neighboring house in time not to get eaten alive, and lifted her head once Lev called out to her. Lev had slipped through a crack in a hole in the wall of the bedroom on the door next to them. 

The growling grew closer as Abby crawled through the hole, using her remaining strength to push through with her elbows and legs. Abby let out a grunt as she made it through to the other side of the wall, but let out a loud cry as she was tugged back by a clicker; its rotting hands grabbing at her foot. 

“Lev, the wardrobe!” Abby yelled, and Lev quickly ran to the side of the wardrobe and began pushing it, using all his strength. Abby pulled her foot away and kicked down to the clicker’s face to try and pry it away but to no avail. Abby then reached for the pipe and swung it harshly on the clicker’s head. 

The clicker screeched and was momentarily stunned, “Quick!” Abby yelled as she swung the pipe a bit more. Lev let out a struggled cry as he pushed the wardrobe more until it covered the hole entirely. On the other side of the hole, the clicker and what sounded to be two more infected let out groans and screams as they scratched and hit the walls.

The two pushed themselves away from the wardrobe, Abby was panting and trembling as she tried to catch her breath. “That was close.” she gasped out in between breaths; they needed to get to the pickup place, and fast before their bodies couldn’t take it anymore. 

Lev got up to his knees, sighing as he did so. Abby sat on the ground for a few more moments before she struggled onto her feet, “Let’s go.” She said, and the two wove through the complex, finding ways to go through each house until they reached the other side of the barricade. 

At this point, the two survivors were barely hanging on, pushing their limits as they followed the directions they were given and headed toward Western Avenue. They continued walking sluggishly past the Royal Beach Park playground until they reached the cliff. They began climbing down the cliff, taking the sandy dirt trail down towards the shoreline. The two barely had any energy to even take in the beautiful landscape they were in. The cliff overlooked the sea that was calm and tender, getting warm as the day grew older and the sun rose higher. 

The low tired grunts and panting of the pair quieted down as the sound of waves crashing became louder. The ground beneath them thinned out from subtle and dry underbrush to dead grass covered by a soft layer of sand. The sand itself was just beginning to boil, the billions of grains of sand being embraced by the sun’s heat. Lev dropped to his hands and knees, grabbing a handful of sand weakly. 

“We made it,” Lev said, relief coating his voice, yet with a twinge of bitterness hidden to it. “We sure did.” Abby replied, also letting her body surrender to the fatigue, and sat down on the sand. “Now we just wait, they’ll come for us.” Abby said, desperately pushing down the insecurity that weighed her heart that all this could just be another trap.

They had come so far to get there, and been through so much; the thought that it could’ve all been for nothing terrified Abby beyond belief. The two stood close together, barely having the strength to sit up and look over the endless horizon, looking for anything that could indicate a boat coming towards them; with each passing hour, the pair grew more drowsy and tired, barely hanging on. 

By the time the sun started setting, the two had collapsed next to each other on the shoreline, completely exhausted and on the brink of death. Abby was just barely hanging on to consciousness, one of her eyes half-lidded. She held on for as long as she could until her strength seemingly slipped from her fingertips and she felt herself be enveloped by darkness.

The whirring of a faraway boat cut the silence of the night and the incoherent mumbling of different voices echoed across the deep dark waters. The crunchy footsteps of shoes onto sand swirled into the ears of the unconscious pair, and before they knew it, their bodies had been dragged into the cold floor of a boat. 

The rhythmic buzzing of the engine just lulled the pair deeper into slumber, the vibrations somewhat soothed their tired souls as the boat headed into a slight salty mist. It seemed like the boat floated upon hours into a mystery, aimless and alone in the vast ocean; until it abruptly came to a halt. 

The slurred roughness of the sand rubbed the underside of the boat as it came to shore. Voices filled the air, tuning in on each other as other ones replied back; all with differently indistinguishable tones. With strange hands holding them carefully, the two were held and taken to someplace else; someplace comfortable. 

Abby and Lev felt the exhaustion melt away from their flesh and bones and into the bedsheets they were laid upon. It was the first time in weeks they had felt any soft texture underneath their bodies to rest on; and the comfortable bedding further kept them in a temporary blacked-out peace.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi all!! im surprised to see that i got more than a single hit with this fic so far, I appreciate the kudos given to my work a whole bunch! Thank you for reading this fic, i hope you're enjoying it <3

Word spread around the base like wildfire, it had been quite some time since the outpost got survivors. They had been trying to rescue folks from the hands of the slave traders for months, but the island was simply too far away to do a full rescue operation to the prisoners. However, small groups with boats scavenged the shorelines in search of survivors. 

White Point beach was usually a place where they could find some people, but most of them would many times be already dead by the time they got there. The two new incomers found were in terrible shape, the worst the fireflies had seen from the average survivors they’d pick up. 

The lead medic informed the conditions of the pair were concerning, to say the least; dehydrated, malnourished, beaten and both suffered heat strokes. The fireflies didn’t have a lot of hope that the pair would even survive, but they continued to use their medical supplies and resources available. 

The two had been sleeping for almost a full day now, the exhaustion finally catching up to them. You were assigned to treat their sunburns, the two had suffered extreme sunburns; their skin was peeling and bright red around their face and upper body. The woman was in worse condition; with deep cuts in her arms and her chest, a broken rib, and bruises marked her whole body. 

The treatment for the burns was to use a cream made from aloe vera, one of the plants with healing properties that the fireflies grew in the outpost. In the southern parts of the island, there were large areas for growing all kinds of vegetation, from legumes to fruits and herbal plants. 

You looked down at the woman in front of you who was laying on the bed, she breathed weakly and her eyes were closed shut. You opened the lid and started working the cream on her skin, hands gently rubbing over the most affected areas with scabs and open skin parts. “I sure hope that cream works.” The nurse next to you said, her voice was low and concerned. 

You were no nurse but you offered to help out with treating the survivors, it was better than to sit around waiting for the results of whether they made it through or not. You used a damp cloth to gently rub the woman’s face, cleaning the dirt, sand, and dried blood off her cheeks and applying the cream to her peeling nose.

The cut across her left cheek was already treated, and you applied more cream around her wound where the skin was more irritated. For her dry and scabbed lips you put some lip balm made with the available ingredients of the island and let it sit there. Her shoulders were also badly burned, red, and with open cracks in the skin that had peeled off from extreme exposure to the sun.

After the cream was applied, you put the cream pack away and looked down at the woman laying on the bed. Just who was her? She didn’t look like a Rattler, her physique was well built and muscular despite her malnourishment, so she couldn’t be just an average survivor. 

And the kid? He had scars on his cheeks and ran from the sides of his lips up towards his ears, did she do this to him? It wasn’t likely, they seemed to be traveling together from the way they were found huddled together on the beach as if they were comforting each other. 

There were rumors already going around the base that the blonde woman was a firefly, since a few months ago the outpost received a radio signal coming from Santa Barbara from a woman named Abby who claimed she was a firefly in the Salt Lake City outpost. 

Not much was known about what happened to this woman, but many fireflies started speculating that this could be the same woman. You ignored most of them for now, yet the story tugged at your heartstrings; not many fireflies survived the Salt Lake outpost incident that doomed humanity’s chance at finding a cure. 

The thought of yet another survivor of the incident gave you a spark of hope, yet it quickly died down as you remembered how many fireflies actually survived. There was not even a dozen of you on the whole island, out of more than two hundred fireflies it was just a handful that was from the Salt Lake outpost that even managed to survive the massacre. 

Anyhow, after you were done with applying the cream, you did the same with the young boy. The scars on his face were reddened with the burns and flaking slightly where the scars were deeper into the skin, making the scars seem fresher than they were. 

Once the two had their burns treated, two more volunteers entered the makeshift medical room; it was in a cleaned out area of the Avalon Hospital that was on the island; it wasn’t used much after the outbreak so a lot of supplies were still in good condition along with hospital beds and other tools. 

The fireflies had spent a few years cleaning out the island’s infected, having the entire island thoroughly secured was more than enough to keep the fireflies at ease, and with enough space and resources the rebuilt faction was able to make a comfortable living for themselves. The entire island was fully functioning, each part of it had a specific role and road sites with signs and directions to each part were spread all over the island. 

There were workshops spread throughout the island, along with a functioning schooling system for the young fireflies, training segments, animal pens, vegetable gardens, and fields; anything you could ask for. Patrols kept the island safe all along the coast to the inner parts of the outpost where the concentrated lodges and camping sites served as the main communal area, with dormitories and warehouses to stock food, weapons, and other supplies.

You got out of the hospital, your shoulders slightly bouncing as you carelessly walked down the stairs, saying a few words to a trio of fireflies that stood at the entrance of the hospital before leaving. It was your turn to join a few others in a patrol along Wrigley Rd. that led further South down the island. 

You stood in line with another group, ready to set out to patrol. You approached the large post with the patrol whiteboard routine written on it. As you wrote out your name, time, and group number, a familiar voice made you turn your head. 

“Hey Y/N.” a silky playful voice sounded in your ear, and you placed your hands on your hips as you smiled. “Look who’s here, my good ol’ friend Ant.” you joked, making the man roll his eyes at the nickname. “How did things at the hospital go?” He asked, his voice grew a little thick; everyone was dying to know who the newcomers were. 

A few other group members were casually murmuring amongst themselves, but their talking soon quieted down as they subtly tried listening in to what you had to say. “I’m not sure, they’re both badly wounded and still asleep, the woman seems to be doing struggling a lot.” you paused, trying to be hopeful at least, unlike some other fireflies.

Word had been going around that some folk were getting upset that they were wasting their medical supplies on a “lost cause” and that they ought to give up on the pair and just end their suffering.

No decision was made by the firefly council in regards to the survivors and for now they under the intensive care of doctors and volunteers. “But I have hopes they’ll make it, they just need to be strong.” You added, the two looked like they had been through so much already from the physical condition they were in, they were sure to make it as long as they were properly treated. 

“Alright people, let’s go!” a loud voice cut the conversation short as the assigned leader of the group spoke, and the fireflies began moving, fixing themselves up before joining the leader to head down the patrol road. You quickly followed after them, “Come on, Dante, get a move on!” you called out behind you to the man who was tying his shoelaces like the idiot he was. 

Dante mumbled back a response before jogging up to catch up with the group; rifle in hand and all. Despite the area being clear of infected, patrols always left the respected gathering area heavily armed. You picked up the pace and left with the group, headed towards the road close to the coast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also just to clarify, Dante is a character I made up for this fic and he's not canon at all. "Ant" is the nickname given to him btw! just in case anyone was unsure :)


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry, this took a little longer to write, I'm currently busy with my studies so it's a little hard to find time to write this, but I hope you all are enjoying my fic so far!! I'm so happy with the kudos I've received and the amount of hits I've gotten!! thank you so much for the support <3333

Emptiness. It was all just a peaceful void, a vast and endless ocean of nothingness yet its gentle black waters soothe the soul. Until a crash of thunder is overheard in the seas. A crash that comes down fierce. Crashes down to the head of a man.

Eyes wide open and the sea unfolds to the sight ahead. A slight buzzing is heard in the atmosphere, which condenses itself into the pained cries of a girl. Behind this crash, words of hatred fill the air with a bitter venom leaving from her mouth. 

The man below is still, unmoving, his soul struck down by the bolt of lightning, thunder ringing in the ears of all who watched. Deep breaths, deep like the wound in her heart. The girl’s screams grow louder, her fierce hatred spreading towards all.

The sound of metal hits the floor, clinging across it as the club slides away from the hands that struck the lightning down to earth, down to the man. The sea condenses back into nothingness, but the water was tarnished into crimson. 

A deep dark crimson, deep to drown the ones who sail it, thick as the skin of those who choose to cross it. And she crosses it. The sea cracks, unveiling and sucking down all into a hole, a hole of hate. 

She doesn’t fight back as she slides down the hole; and instead of swimming upwards, she moves down along with the current. The hole opens along with a pair of eyes, blue as the sky and coated with tears. The one she loved was struck down with a gust of wind. 

A gust, violent and hostile, sharp enough to draw blood. Blood of the ones who were also sucked down into the hole along with the two; she who could not forgive, and she who could not forget. 

Both intertwined by hate, the two sides of a coin, similar yet opposites, heads, and tails. The gust of wind was made from the girl’s hands, the girl whose screams were filled with agony, the girl who chased after her source of hate, the girl who devoured the souls of those in her way. 

The blue eyes cried, tears flowing down freckled cheeks, dropping shakily to a bloodied floor. The same blue eyes then truly open, to a sight-unseen before by them.

Nurses and volunteers rushed into the room, bringing all kinds of tools as people gathered around with their eyes widened. Abby woke up panting, her heartbeat raced as she looked at her surroundings, beside the bed she was laying on was Lev and she let out a sigh of relief. 

Abby thought quickly before reaching over to a pair of scissors that sat on the table next to her bed along with gauze for her wounds. “Stay back!” Abby said fiercely as she got up from the bed, her nostrils flared as she went besides Lev’s bed, placing her hand on his shoulder as she shook his shoulder to wake him up. 

“Wake up!" Abby urged on, her eyebrows furrowed as she pointed the scissors at the strangers that surrounded them. “No need to panic, miss, we’re here to-” one of the nurses began, putting her hands slowly in front of her to try and calm the blonde woman. 

“Who are you?” Abby demanded, despite her weakened state she would still give it her all and fight back against any threat. Lev slowly came to his senses, the drowsiness of sleep making his voice slurred “What’s going on-” Lev’s words were cut off as he rubbed his eye tiredly, only to see the group of strangers in front of them. 

Lev got up quickly, a little too quickly and his knees felt weak but he kept his posture, his eyebrows furrowed as he moved in closer to Abby. “We found you on the beach.” One of the nurses explained, to which Abby listened intently to her words. 

“We saved you and brought you here.” a volunteer added, making Abby slightly relax a little but she kept the pair of scissors pointed at the group of people. “Where are we?” Abby asked, her voice stern yet her guard was more down as she spoke, seeing that these people really did treat their wounds and took them in. 

“Catalina Island.” The nurse replied, making Abby widen her eyes at the answer, her heartbeat picked up pace as she looked at Lev; his eyes were shining with hope, his head flicking from Abby to the group of people. 

“You’re fireflies?” Lev asked, already knowing the answer but it felt so surreal to actually be there with them, he almost didn’t believe it. The nurse nodded, a smile on her lips as she did so. Abby slowly lowered the scissors in her hand, processing the words of the nurse in front of her. 

“We made it.” Abby said quietly as she turned to Lev, who had the biggest smile plastered on his face, and threw himself onto Abby’s arms with a tight hug. The tension in the air slowly dissipated, and chatter grew in the room as the nurses and volunteers started explaining what happened. 

Abby intently listened, and the nurses then began to check on her injuries and ask her questions. “Does it hurt to breathe?” The nurse asked as she wrote down a few things, “Not really.” Abby said, she almost seemed distracted; it had been so long that she’d been looking for the fireflies, Lev and she had been through so much already and they finally did it. 

The nurses and volunteers began checking the two of them, using medical tools to check their heartbeats, reflexes, cognitive thinking, and other factors that would indicate whether they were doing alright or not. 

“You suffered a heatstroke and several stab wounds, we’ve treated your stab wounds and a volunteer is currently treating your sunburns; she should arrive from patrol shortly.” the nurse informed, to which Abby nodded and turned her head to look at her shoulders, she only now noticed the oily substance on her skin. The blonde was inclined to touch her shoulder to feel the cream but held back against it.

Lev let out a quiet sigh, barely audible to those around him but of course, the blue-eyed woman picked it up. Without even having to ask him, Abby already knew what was on his mind; they had grown closer by each passing month since the events in Seattle and she grew to greatly trust him and learn when he was upset or not.

The blonde knew Lev would often isolate himself when he was upset, and his slightly lowered head to the side and half-lidded eyes made his mood stick out like a sore thumb to Abby. “It’s alright,” She told him quietly, making the boy flick his eyes to the side a little. 

“It’s over now.” Abby added, being relieved by her own words. Abby’s smooth and reassuring voice made Lev nod and a small smile to appear on his lips, only to fade away a few moments later. 

The two had only been through rough seas so far; the events on the Seraphite Island still made deep wounds on Lev’s heart and the weight of his actions was a constant reminder of it all. Abby noticed that her words didn’t bring much comfort to his turmoil, yet she continued smiling despite her own grief; she needed to be strong for both of them. 

In the corner of her eye, Abby caught the figure of a person and she turned her head to said person. You stood in front of Abby, a big grin on your lips as you approached the woman in front of you. 

“I see you’re awake, I was getting worried about you guys.” You said as you approached them; the woman’s features struck out to her. She was a whole different person when she was awake, her face stoic yet her blue eyes were filled with deep pain.

Abby noticed your staring, and her eyebrow twitched a little. “Mhm.” Abby replied, eyeing you for a few moments before turning her attention to the container in your hands. “I’ve been taking care of your sunburns with this.” You explained with a smile; the woman seemed distant and cold but you couldn’t blame her, in the state she was in because of God-knows-what you’d also be distrustful.

“Thank you,” Abby said softly, a pang of helplessness in her voice. She felt conflicted, she’s always been the one taking care of others, and being this weak was definitely an uncomfortable feeling. 

You hesitantly approached the woman and opened the lid of the container; she was quite intimidating up close yet she looked like she hid so much pain behind those blue orbs like you could dive into them and be in a pool full of teardrops from sorrow. 

You slowly dipped your fingertips into the cream and lifted them back up. Abby turned her head a little so you could apply the cream to her shoulders, she was deep in thought and you fought back the urge to ask her questions; knowing she probably would just get annoyed and close herself off further. 

Abby didn’t mind your company, but the touch of your hands to her shoulders felt strange, she was no longer used to being touched in a non-violent way. 

The thought made a shiver run down her spine as blurry flashes filled her brain and made her jerk away from your touch. “Are you alright? Did I hurt you?” You said quickly, concerned for her. Abby shook her head “I’m fine,” her voice had a slight shake, to which she quickly recovered by clearing her throat. 

“Can I do this myself?” Abby added, her voice more stable now. You thought for a moment, “The nurse said you should avoid moving at all, it’ll make the healing process of your injuries better, especially for the cuts on your arms.” You told her truthfully, to which Abby considered for a few moments before she shrugged lightly.

“Then I guess it can’t be helped.” She mumbled as she tried relaxing under your touch. Abby was careful with how you acted, despite being surrounded by fireflies she couldn’t help but still be on high alert. 

Soon enough you finished applying the cream to her shoulders, and her face needed to also be moisturized by the cream. “I’ll put the cream on your face now okay?” You said carefully, and Abby tensed up slightly at your words, she seemed against it but she nodded regardless; she needed to focus on growing strong again no matter what.

You waited a few more moments before taking more cream onto your fingers before Abby lifted her head up to let you apply the cream. Her skin was already starting not to look so dry, but it would take a little while longer for the burns to be treated. You carefully used your fingers to rub the cream on her face. Fingertips gently glided across her cheekbones, under her eyes, and on her nose.

Abby stayed quiet the whole time, but her gaze was fixed on you; it was almost intimidating the way she didn’t move her eyes away for a single second whilst you applied the cream on her face. Once you were done you quickly pulled away, making Abby only fix her gaze on you more.

“I’ll apply this cream on you twice a day for a few days.” You explained, and Abby nodded, taking her eyes off you to look to her side. The air was awkward for a few moments, and you were unsure of how to make the situation better. Your face suddenly brightened up a little, “Also, I’m Y/N.” you introduced yourself, hoping this would make things more casual. Abby didn’t look at you and rather thought for a few moments. 

“You can call me A.” she said; it was still too early to decide that she could simply give her name away to these people when the possibility of it being a trap made her insecure. You furrowed your eyebrows for a second, then smiled again, “I’ll come back tomorrow to put more cream, and I’ll come by later to give you dinner.” You said, then added, “Is there anything you’re allergic to?” You asked, just to make sure.

Abby shook her head, “I’m not allergic to anything.” she told you, and you nodded in return. “Okay then, I’ll catch you later A!” You said cheerfully and waved goodbye to Abby who weakly waved back with a movement of her fingers.

Once you left the room, Abby turned to Lev, who was just finishing up with having crema applied to his own burns. The blonde waited until most people were out of earshot then turned to Lev and did a low click of her tongue to get his attention.

Lev turned his head around to meet hers, and instantly understood the message, he stayed alert to make sure nobody was listening in. “We can’t say our names just yet, we don’t know for sure that it’s safe to do so. For now, I’m A and you’re L, okay?” Abby said quietly, to which Lev listened intently and nodded along to her words.

“Okay, I’ll make sure not to mention either of our names,” he said softly, and the two of them went back to acting casual once they were done exchanging words. Abby turned her head to look down at her wounds, staring at her hands and arms that still had fresh cuts and bruises along her arms. 

Her arms had gotten a lot slimmer, but the blonde was sure that once she was healthy enough she’d go back to training and gain back her muscle mass. Abby felt herself be lost in thought as she stared off in the distance, waiting for more nurses and volunteers to come to check up on them both.


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey yall! im doing final exams atm so writing has been really hard, but after this week ill be sure to write some more since ill be on break!! thank you for your patience! i hope yall are enjoying it so far <3

The gentle salty breeze warmed the morning air with the freshness of the ocean, and the noise of the firefly community started to boast as the day passed on. Tired sentinels walked back to the dormitories groggily as the next firefly took their post to watch over the island.

As each new firefly took the post, they adjusted the long cords spread throughout the island. Without a radio signal, it was hard to communicate throughout the whole island, and so the fireflies made an alert system using cords and other materials to make sound and scattered them across the island. 

Once a sentinel spotted something that could be potentially dangerous, they’d ring the cord and make noise for the sentinel on a nearby post, who would do the same and with quick action, the whole island would be on lockdown and on high alert for intruders. In the cafeteria, meals were being handed out; they had more than enough food supplies because of the size of the island.

It took hours by foot to get from one end of an island to the other, and the weather and landscapes made it a good place to grow food and other supplements, as well as the island being relatively close to the coast of Los Angeles, made it so they had the means to go to the big city and find many supplies if needed.

You were up early, ready to start off the day with a good meal. You sat in the cafeteria, they were serving eggs with vegetables and a portion of orange juice to drink. You ate quietly as you listened to the tired chattering of fireflies that sat on the same table, and soon enough Dante came from the dormitories and sat beside you, holding his own plate of food with him. 

“You really have no shame huh?” you teased him, eyeing him and seeing how he didn’t even bother to fix up his hair to look somewhat presentable to eat breakfast. “Oh like you look any better. You still have drool on your chin.” Dante retorted as he took a big gulp of his juice, his lips slightly curled up in a smile as he did so. 

Your heart nearly stopped as you frantically started wiping at your chin, your face slightly getting warm, seeing you’ve probably been walking around the base with dry drool on your chin like an idiot. “I’m just messin’ with you.” Dante snorted, and you stopped rubbing your chin, feeling even more embarrassed now. You gave Dante’s shoulder a punch, “Asshole,” you said under your breath, yet you were trying to hold back laughter. Dante chuckled and ate his eggs.

“I heard the kid is gonna be released today for a little bit so he can walk around base ‘n all?” Dante asked as he ate, the guy had some bad table manners if you did say so yourself.

“Mhm, we’ve been nursing him back to health for a few days now, the Doc said it would be good for him to walk around a bit and I volunteered to show him around base,” you explained as you finished eating. “I’ve gotten to meet both of them actually,” you added, and Dante listened intently. 

“And? How are they? The woman seems kinda off if you ask me.” Dante said with his eyebrows furrowed, he hadn’t really interacted with the newcomers all that much apart from bringing in a meal for them. “She’s pretty reserved from what I’ve seen, and the kid doesn’t speak much either.” You told him as you gazed off, staring at your empty cup.

“There’s just something about her...” your voice trailed off as you shook her head. “It’s nothing, they’re just not exactly comfortable here yet. They’ve both probably been through a lot.” you told him, and Dante shrugged “I guess so.” you thought for a few more moments before you got up.

“Speaking of which I’ll go and head off to Avalon and fetch the new kid so I can show him around.” You said, and got up, to which Dante nodded and also got up, “I have the morning field duty, as usual, I’ll go n’ head to the east side.” He said, his voice with a hint of annoyance. Dante hated field duty, especially having to deal with the plants as he didn’t like getting his hands full of dirt. You chuckled at his mannerisms and rolled your eyes.

“Alright, I’ll catch you later then.” You said, and he waved goodbye as you parted ways. You made your way out of the cafeteria and headed to the trail that led to Avalon. It wasn’t too far from your dormitory segment, but you still carried around your backpack with tools as well as your knife and gun just in case anything happened.

As you walked towards the hospital your mind began to wander along your quiet footsteps. A strange feeling lingered in you, and you couldn’t quite pinpoint what it even was.

Soon enough you reached the hospital, “I’m here to show the new kid around!” You said as you greeted the fireflies by the entrance with a smile, and they let you in the hospital. You made your way up the stairs of the hospital and opened the swinging doors.

There were only two people now in the medical room, a nurse and a volunteer; both occupied with their work. “Hey, I’ll be taking the kid out for a walk like you said the other day?” you said to the nurse, who turned her head to the side to look at you and nodded. “Be back in less than two hours, I don’t want to tire him out needlessly.” The nurse said as she went back to her writing. 

You nodded and turned to the kid on the bed. His eyes were low as he read a book, his eyes flicking to the sides as they scanned the words on the pages. The woman on the neighboring bed was asleep, her face buried into her pillow. “Shall we go out for a walk?” You spoke to the boy; being careful not to wake up the sleeping blonde next to you both. 

The black-haired boy looked to the side, his eyes scanning over his asleep friend for a few moments before he nodded and carefully got up. He was still relatively weak, but it would be good to get him walking around again; after all, they had been here for almost a week now. 

You smiled and made your way out of the room accompanied by the boy. You walked down the stairs of the hospital slowly, not wanting the boy to fall over and hurt himself even more. “You’re L, right?” you began as the two of you made your way out of the hospital, the boy hummed back in response as he followed you. 

He was quiet for some time, and the two of you walked around a relatively easy trail that went around Avalon and would take you back to the hospital. “It’s quite big here.” He said as he gazed over the forest, and you chuckled in return, “It is.” then added “Sometimes a little bit too big for my liking.” you said with a smile as you kept on walking. 

Slowly but surely, he began to talk more, mainly about their surroundings; saying things about the view and the forest. He was a sharp kid, you could tell from the ways his body language would react to the calls of a distant bird or the crunching of leaves from a forest critter; always alert for something to pounce on him. 

It was hard not to tense up at the littlest sounds, it was the cruel reality of their world, if you weren’t alert at all times it could easily cost you your life. “Hey L, have you ever been to school?” you asked him, a little careful since you didn’t want to upset him. He looked up at you for a few moments before his gaze returned to the trail you both walked by and shook his head. 

“Not really.” he said quietly as he kicked a small rock on the trail, sending it bouncing down the side of the forest. “Well we have a school here, there’s quite a handful of kids your age you could befriend.” You said with a smile, and for a moment the boy’s eyes shone as he looked up at you, and the corner of his lips curled upwards into a small smile. 

You smiled back at him, making him shift his gaze back to the floor. As you kept walking there was a long pause where the two of you fell silent, but the boy then mumbled, almost to himself “Do you think she’s gonna be okay?” referring to the blonde woman he arrived with. 

“Oh I’m sure she’ll be just fine, we’re already treating her; she might just need more time with healing her wounds than you.” You explained truthfully, it would be an arduous process but you had hopes that she’d eventually get better. 

The fireflies had a gym anyway, after she got healed up they would likely start doing some physiotherapy exercises on her just to make sure she was fit to leave the hospital completely.

The boy nodded along, and you kept on walking the rest of the time in comfortable silence. The boy surprisingly seemed pretty strong for the state he was in because of his wounds, and you couldn’t help but admire his willpower. The sun was already high in the sky as they neared Avalon, it was just an hour of trails but you imagined the boy would be quite tired already. 

Getting to meet him was a little more difficult than you thought; you thought the kid would be more talkative and open like most other kids but he proved to be difficult to maintain a conversation with. He seemed distant, he was young but you thought he was mentally much older than he looked. 

Once you arrived at the hospital, the boy began paying more attention to his surroundings, almost taking notes of different places as if he was planning something just in case. You led him back to the room he was staying with along with the blonde woman. 

She was awake now and staring out the window; deep in thought. She then turned her head to the side as she heard the two of you coming into the room, her eyes going from you and back to the boy, already defensive and looking for any sign of trouble. 

She thought for a few moments before looking at you, “Where did you take him?” she asked carefully. “I took him for a walk in the trails we have, the nurse said it would be good to get him back on track.” You explained, and the woman seemed to relax more.

“It was a nice trail, Ab-” he spoke with a gentle smile before he cut himself off. “A.” He corrected himself, and you awkwardly shifted your gaze somewhere else. The blonde thought for a bit, her hands fumbling as she carefully accessed their situation. “Abby.” She said, looking up to you. 

“I’m Abby.” she spoke, her eyebrows slightly furrowed as if she was still on guard about her name. As Abby introduced herself for the first time you couldn’t help but smile and feel yourself get warmer, a strange feeling flowing through your body with the realization that you were slowly gaining her trust. 

You really didn’t know why you even cared about gaining her trust, but you felt entranced by her eyes, she was like a magnet for you and you couldn’t understand why. The boy looked at Abby then at you, and he closed his eyes for a few moments; contemplating his decision before speaking. “And I’m Lev.” he said, and you turned your head to him as you smiled. 

“Well, you two ought to have some lunch.” You said with a smile, “For today’s meal we have rice and beans or burritos.” You explained, and added, “Which one would you guys like?” you asked with a smile. Abby thought for a moment, then said “I’d like a burrito.” her voice seemed different than before, her eyes shining yet with a layer of pain hidden behind them. 

“I’d like rice and beans,” Lev spoke, and you nodded with a smile. “I’ll let Carl know.” You said since Carl was the volunteer who helped out with bringing them food and making sure they got enough nutrients to heal up faster. “Thanks,” Abby mumbled, and the three of you stood in silence, not really sure what to say.

Lev, seeing as Abby was in deep thought, spoke up. “Y/N told me there are kids my age here.” He said with a soft smile, making Abby look up at him and return the smile. You couldn’t help but stare a little at the woman, she was smiling for the first time since she arrived here and you couldn’t help but feel happy as you watched them slowly grow more comfortable in their surroundings. 

“That’s great Lev, I was worried you wouldn’t fit in if there was nobody your age.” She said softly and you could tell just how much she cared for this boy, it was a friendly tone yet it almost seemed motherly; from the little interactions you had with them, you knew Abby would likely do anything to protect him. “Do you guys have a school here?” she asked and turned to you, her tone a bit less soft now. 

“We do, yes, we have a classroom of around 15 or so kids?” You said as you raised your eyebrow, trying to recall how many kids actually were there. “We also have a kindergarten with a kid or two.” you explained; the fireflies were quite organized when it came to the younger generations since they were their future the fireflies spent a lot of time and care to find books and other materials for class when they went scavenging. 

Abby listened intently, the fireflies always prioritized education for their youth; Abby found herself remembering her own days in school, finding everything fascinating from a young age when she was with the fireflies back in Salt Lake. 

“It would be nice Lev,” Abby told him, and Lev seemed a little hesitant. “I don't know, I’ve never been to school, the Seraphites always said that anything from the old world was sinful so I don’t know if I’d fit in-” Lev said, looking at Abby with furrowed eyebrows, but he was cut off by your words. “Seraphites?” You asked, tilting your head a little, then instantly regretted opening your mouth.

You really couldn’t help it sometimes and your curiosity often got the best of you. “Ah- I didn’t-” you stammered, and Abby quickly cut you off. “That’s none of your business,” she said coldly, her eyebrows furrowed and her nose slightly scrunched up in annoyance. 

Her whole demeanor changed in a matter of seconds, her words striking your heart in a not-so-good way. Lev looked at Abby for a bit, his eyes growing sad at her actions. Abby then grew quiet, still looking at you then tearing her gaze off you and to her hands. “Sorry.” she mumbled out, and Lev put his hand over hers for a bit before looking up at you. 

You sighed softly, “Well uh- I should go and tell Carl to bring your lunches.” You said slowly, trying to be careful with your words. Lev nodded, and Abby stayed silent and unmoving, and you took your leave; heading to Carl who was likely doing some scheduling duties near the hospital. 

Meanwhile, Lev stayed in silence with Abby. He knew just how much they had been through, and the two of them had felt like everyone had broken their trust. All they had left was each other now. “I’m sorry Abby, I shouldn’t have brought up the Seraphites.” Lev mumbled out, and Abby shook her head, “No don’t apologize, I should’ve been calmer with Y/N.” she said, then thought. “I’ll figure something out and do a proper apology.” 

Abby said, “She’s been really kind to both of us, I don’t want to come off as rude.” The blonde sighed a bit, ruffling up her short hair. Abby’s hand stopped short as she felt the back of her head, no longer feeling her braid anymore, she almost felt stripped of her identity. 

Lev noticed that and smiled a bit. “Don't worry Abby, It’ll grow back.” He said, making Abby soften her expression and smile, “Thank you Lev.” she said, truly meaning it since she felt as if Lev’s words weren’t only referring to her hair but to their experiences; that they’d eventually grow from it. The two stayed silent for the rest of the time before their lunch would arrive; just enjoying the comfort of each other's presence.


End file.
